Strangers in the Night
by Madame Moderne
Summary: Two estranged souls, terrified of attachment, find solace in one another in the shadows of the night. Through their differences, villains, quests and peculiar rendezvous, they might beat the odds and find something they never wanted, and it might just end up being what they needed. BMxCW / BWxSK.
1. Strange Encounters

**I will say this once and only once: All characters and names and titles do not belong to me. They belong to DC Comics and whatever other respective owners they have. I am not affiliated with anyone. I own nothing but my plots and my own rants and side notes. Thank you and enjoy. **

* * *

**Strangers in the Night**

**Chapter One - Strange Encounters**

Selina walked in to her dark apartment. She threw her keys into a bowl on a shabby table set next to the door and kicked her heels off, all the while loosening her hair which has been held uptight in a serious bun. This had been a routine for the past three years in which she lived by herself. Being alone took a toll on her but she never let anyone tell, except for maybe her cat, Isis, who had kept her company during the long nights with tear-filled eyes and mouth stuffed with Ben & Jerry's.

She had barely made it into her half-kitchen when the doorbell rang, announcing an unwanted visitor. Sighing, Selina sucked it up and made her way towards the main entrance of her humble abode. Without checking who it was, a bad habit Tom had admonished her on time after time, she opened the door to encounter a young blonde girl with big doe eyes. She wore a bright yellow shirt and a mundane brown skirt with a tell tale sash going across her torso, displaying several badges of courage and accomplishments. Her eyes shone with innocence as she held up a box of "Julie's Chocki Chips" and she spoke in a high pitched voice:

"Good evening, ma'am. My name is Candy Smithins and I am a proud girl scout. I come here_ all _ the way from Metropolis in hopes of-"

The door slammed on the young girl as Selina turned on her heal and continued to make her way towards her kitchen. After a couple of seconds, she heard the resigned pitter patter of small feet fade away as they made their way down the apartment building and eventually, outside.

Selina wasn't always like this. At least, that's what she'd like to say. She was raised in a modest home with quiet parents. That is, until her father was fired from his day-job at LexCorp and drank himself into oblivion. His anger was hard to handle, and thus he took it out on his poor wife, Maria Kyle. When she wasn't around, wallowing in her bedroom, Brian Kyle would abuse his daughters, Selina and Magdalene. Selina, often being brave would take most blows until her father was tired and he'd pass out, sparing her sister all the gruesome pain. Eventually, her mother had given up on everything and had then committed suicide, leaving Selina and Maggie on their own with their ill-minded father. When social workers found out about their predicament due to the girls constant absence in school, they had the girls separated and placed in foster homes.

Then things seemingly got worse. Her next "father" had taken a liking to Selina's curvaceous body; lean, strong and ample. Needless to say, he abused her in a different manner. Selina, at the age of sixteen, got tired of his ways and placed a sedative in his food one day, rendering him unconscious for a day or two; long enough for Selina to escape.

She then encountered Ted Grant, who took her under his wing and taught her everything he knew. She learned how to fight, how to predict her opponent's next move, and how to be sly when needed. This all added up to make her an expert thief, a talent she realized she had when she was merely eighteen years old. But her moral standards and her love for her sister were enough to keep her from sinking so low.

So she then did all she could do: Search for Maggie. She searched for a year for a Magdalene Kyle and eventually found her living with a remote family in Oregon. The family was a low-middle class family who could hardly support themselves and their three kids, excluding Maggie. After a month of knowing this Maggie and her new family, Selina was told that her young fifteen year old sister was diagnosed with Leukemia. Selina felt desperate and miserable, she had no way to help her sick sister or her poor family. No money to give them and no comfort either, since she lived in Gotham and couldn't buy a second ticket to Oregon.

That's when she met Tom. Tom was a bit older than the men she usually dated, being ten years her senior. He was thirty when they first met at Gotham Central Bank, where he worked at. She had come in to ask to take money out of her account, only to realize she was a couple dollars short of a thousand dollars. Tom offered his condolences by taking her out for a cup of coffee. The cup of coffee turned into lunch dates, which turned into dinner dates which would then result in late nights, and even went as far as moving in together.

Tom, realizing his girlfriend's desperation to save her sister, offered to help and she, without hesitating thanked him profusely and accepted his offer. Three months later she was receiving news that Maggie had been improving and had only one small payment of twelve thousand dollars to complete the pay for the treatment. Only then would she really be cured. Tom, having heard of this, withdrew exactly twelve thousand dollars to give Maggie and was making his way to Selina's apartment when he was ambushed.

Seven men cornered him in the famous "Crime Alley" where two of Gotham's most prominent members had died once, and where another resident would. They shot him thirteen times in the chest and once on the knee. This was accurate because Selina had the memory of acknowledging the body burned into her memories. And before she knew it, her boyfriend was dead, and her sister was dying.

Since no one could pay for chemotherapy, Maggie had two weeks left to live, furthering plunging Selina into a deep abyss of depression. Two weeks later, a letter of condolences came in the mail from the Jones family who had adopted Maggie. They spoke about how grateful they were because of her actions towards her sister and they thanked her for everything she and Tom had done. They told her of how Maggie never went a single day without speaking of her "Brave Sister Selina" and how she cherished the girl and the ground she walked on.

This letter brought Selina to tears and she thought that people this good and gracious should't deserve such poverty. They had taken Maggie in and supported her, when they could hardly support themselves. She had to repay them someway, even if it was the last thing she did. And so, this quest brought an idea to her mind. She would use her plundering expertise to gain money and give them to the poor.

And that's exactly what she did. She stole from small antique stores and thrift shops and eventually museums and galleries. She became so good at her job, she did it quite often. But not often enough to get people to notice there was a trend. She would give some of her findings to those poor unfortunate souls in the East End of Gotham. She felt that even though she was doing a heinous crime, she was getting some good out of it.

So in reality, she was a good person on the inside. Sort of. Except for the fact that she stole and she beat up men who tried to hurt her or the innocent. Well, she can't be all good either. I mean, ask the Caped Crusader for example. He doesn't seem to be her biggest fan, and that's saying a lot, seeing as it took a while for him to notice her. But notice her he did. And he noticed her well.

It was one night, Selina was out in the fire escape, watching the night sky as it twinkled with stars and the hopes of innocent children. She saw a black figure jump from the corner of her eye. Squinting, she could barely make out a tall figure…and a cape…and some pointy ears….My god! It was the infamous Batman! He was real! All those stories, all those tales and legends she had heard of the masked vigilante. She never once believed them. That is, until that very second. She was mesmerized as she watched him dance across the skyline, jumping from building to building until he located the crook and dove in a graceful dive.

Selina had sighed and made a vow that she would catch his attention. But how? Isis purred at her and jumped onto her lap, giving Selina all the inspiration she needed. She hastily located some pieces of leather and sewed them together. Piece after piece, making a skin-tight leather cat suit with the minor stitching hardly noticeable. She zipped up some black knee-high boots and donned a cat-like mask, making sure to tuck in all those voluminous curls. Once she was done, red lipstick and thick liner and all, she grabbed a whip Tom had once kept as decoration (for god knows what reason) and decisively made her way towards the fire escape.

The Catwoman was born.

* * *

She remembered all the lessons WildCat had once forced her to endure, and, in a minutes time, was leaping off the fire escape and onto the neighboring building. A rush of adrenaline had filled her with excitement, her pulse quickening as she realized she wanted more. Running so as to get an impulse, she leaped again…and again…and again, until she was in front of Wayne Tower, the most formidable tower yet. Before she made ascended towards the tower, a small object seemed to shine from the corner of her eye. In a jewelry store just adjacent to the building she was in, was a diamond ring that shone like the stars in the sky that night.

Her mind was screaming at her to grab it, that she had helped people enough and now it was her time to be selfish. Her conscious was telling her not to, that she would get caught and would probably harm others in the process. Then a mischievous smile graced her face as she remembered that her sole purpose for being outside was to attract a certain tall, dark, and handsome stranger. And that was motivation enough.

With a smile, she jumped off the ledge of the building and into the vacant sidewalk where the occasional car would make itself known. Once the coast was clear, she jaywalked across the street and made her way into the alley next to the jewelry store. Climbing up the fire escape and onto the roof where she broke through the vent to make her way in, The Cat slid through the small opening, sliding down until she landed on the marble floor with a quiet thud. She didn't seem to notice that the motion sensors had alerted the police and The Bat that she was there, but Selina was too engrossed in the shiny "toy" that she didn't notice a black shadow behind her.

"Who are you?" a deep voice grunted, forcing the hairs on Selina's body to stand up and give her chills as his voice rang throughout her entire being. When she didn't reply, the man inquired again, this time with more fervor. This made her jump a little.

"Well, well, well. Whaddaya know?" Selina smiled to herself as she forced her voice to be deeper and more seductive. Turning on her heal, she flashed the Bat a smile, trying to hide her shock at how close he really was and how she could finally see all of his features.

He was tall, about 6'2 (A towering height to her 5'7) and well built. But that didn't seem to be a proper description of the man. His kevlar suit made his muscles seem bulkier, made him seem stronger and more formidable. They were huge and protruding, impressive as well. Every part of him was toned, which made Selina wonder if _every_ part was as impressive as his physique showed to be. His late cape made him seem less human, like a looming demon, and his mask made his face seem square and outlined his jaw. And not to mention he had these icy blue eyes that stood out like a sore thumb from all the black. They were deep and full of memories. Full of terror and misery. Full of secrets.

_Prrrr._

"Looks like the Batsy here has come to crash my party." she pouted as she walked around him in circles. "Well, that won't do, because ya see, Bats, I really want that shiny ol' rock over there and I don't think you're going to let me take it." She took a bold step and draped herself over his shoulder blade.

"You're right." he grunted again.

Selina frowned. "You don't seem to be the talking type, eh? Well, I'm just gonna get out of your hair right now…." What the Bat had yet to notice was the fact that a small diamond ring was in the inner pockets of Selina's leather suit, something she hoped would be kept up until she had left the premises.

However, before she could make it back up the air vent, a strong hand grasped her ankle and pulled her down roughly, causing her to fall onto the ground once more. "Me-OW! Didn't your Momma ever teach you to never manhandle a lady?" She was met with silence. "Well, if you wanna play…let's."

She swung a kick at him, which was quickly stopped by the strong force known as his arm. She was shocked momentarily, not expecting him to be so quick. _Who are you kidding, _she thought, _it's_ **Batman.** And despite her thoughts, she continued her ministrations, trying to land a good one on him. While he was distracted by the same old curl that kept sneaking out of its place, Selina managed to punch him squarely in the jaw, making him stop out of the shock. With that window of opportunity, she kneed his gut and elbowed him onto the floor, where he collapsed with a grunt. She placed a leather clad foot on his chest and whispered: "Listen, Bats. You seem like a nice guy, but tough luck, I don't like nice guys. You get in the way of too many things. I promise not to get in your hair a lot, unless I really want to. But if you're ever interested in meeting me again, I'll be perched on top of Wayne Corp at midnight, every night…I have a feeling I won't be needing to give you directions."

She was met with silence again.

"Suit yourself. Hasta luego, Bat Boy." And with that she disappeared into the night, leaving a baffled and disgruntled Batman in her wake.

* * *

**AN: Thank you for reading this little plot that has been bubbling in my mind for the past whatevers. I don't promise strictly consistent updates, but I do promise the eventual completion of this story, which is more than what can be said about more than half of these BatCat stories. **

**Tell me what you think: Yay or Nay?**

**And have a purrfect day,**

_**-MM**_


	2. Strange Women

**Strangers in the Night**

**Chapter Two - Strange Women**

He had promised himself that he wouldn't hurt her like the others. When he had first spotted her sliding in through the air vent of Butler's Family Jewels he thought of her as nothing else but a thief. Boy, was he wrong. He had entered the premises with as much silence as a shadow, if not more, preparing to surprise the trespasser.

Now, despite all the rumors, Batman is a man. In fact, he is very _much_ a man, thank you very much. And even the most dense man on Earth would notice the utter beauty and grace of the Cat-Woman's figure. Her feline grace and saucy curves were delectable, but fortunately, after years of practice with the league of shadows, Batman was becoming good at hiding certain reactions, like blushing…and whatnot. He could also pick up on the microscopic reactions. Like that one look of shock and then mischief that crossed the cat burglars eyes when she had sized him up.

As well as the look of disappointment when he remained stoic and did not respond to her advances.

Despite all of this, his poker face remained in tact as she pranced around him with her catlike walk. And even as she turned about him, his eyes never left hers, for a piercing shade of green met an icy shade of blue and both fought for dominance. He must say, those eyes were beautiful and uniquely hers, as well as her plump red lips and her curly, voluminous hair that seemed to be bursting at the seams of her mask.

"Looks like the Batsy here has come to crash my party." she had pouted, making another revolution around Batman's stone-wall figure. "Well, that won't do, because ya see, Bats, I really want that shiny ol' rock over there and I don't think you're going to let me take it." With those words she draped over the stoic body of Batman, trying to gain some sort of reaction from him. _Is he even human?_

He remained serious as he grunted once, "You're right."

Then, all at once, Batgirl was in his ear. "Trouble in Greene Lane. Three muggers and one lady, fast approaching." His trusty assistant, Batgirl was always a lifesaver. While Selina seemed to be talking, he was listening to the voice of one of his greatest friend's daughter, Barbara Gordon bark out orders to him and Robin, demanding their presence immediately.

Throughout the short period of time that Bruce was seemingly distracted by the news of the muggers (this was odd, for the masked vigilante was never distracted and had always kept a keen sense of his surrounding. Maybe he needed more sleep) Selina was half way through her journey through the air vent.

_Not so fast, _he thought as he gripped her ankle and yanked her down harder than he intended. When he heard her yelp of pain, he immediately backtracked and his old self almost slipped when the reflexive "I'm sorry," nearly slipped out. Batman never apologized, everything he did was with reason. Though he didn't have to reason so harshly….

"Didn't your Momma ever teach you to never manhandle a lady?" In an instant, visions of Martha Wayne flashed through the eyes of Batman as he remembered his late, gracious and kind mother. How she nurtured and raised him to be a gentleman and, as the Catwoman had mentioned, never manhandle a lady. Before he could say anything, he caught trail of her last words "…wanna play…let's." And before he could think of whatever she had been thinking, the Catwoman had managed to swing a kick at him, almost hitting it's target, before his reflex came about and his arm froze her leg's actions.

Catwoman was disgruntled for a second and he thought that the pout on her face made her look quite…dare he say - cute? And then, there it was, the single lone curl peeking from behind her ear, shining in the moonlight, as if saying hello….

"Oughf!" was the sound that came out of the Batman as Catwoman punched him. Had she really managed to get past his wall? To take him by surprise? No one had ever….Maybe he was really out of his element tonight.

He grunted once more when her knee met his gut in a painful encounter. _Was he really this weak or was he letting me win? _Selina thought. _Now that's no fun. _Sharp pain shot through his back as the thief elbowed his spine, finally forcing him to collapse onto the floor. The weakened hero was now on the floor, at the thief's mercy, under her leather boot.

She managed to get real close to him and then whispered: "Listen, Bats. You seem like a nice guy, but tough luck, I don't like nice guys." he smiled internally. "You get in the way of too many things. I promise not to get in your hair a lot, unless I really want to. But if you're ever interested in meeting me again, I'll be perched on top of Wayne Corp at midnight, every night…I have a feeling I won't be needing to give you directions."

How could he respond to that? "Sure, it's a date?" And so, stuck in a rut, he did what he did best. He kept his mouth shut.

The Feline shrugged but seemed displeased. "Suit yourself. Hasta luego, Bat Boy." and with a quick saunter out of the building, she slipped through the air vent and escaped into the night and into Batman's haunted mind…for she was a mystery and he was a detective and this was not a case he was going to pass up.

* * *

The next morning, or should I say, a couple hours later, Master Bruce was being roused from his slumber by his patient butler, best friend, and guardian: Alfred Pennyworth.

"Good morning, Master Bruce!" the jovial butler sang as he opened the curtains to his master's bedroom with a swift movement of the arm. The playboy millionaire grunted into his pillowcase and turned the other way, so as to avoid the direct rays of light.

With his voice muffled by the pillows he said, "Didn't anyone tell you bats didn't like the _light?"_

His employee managed a hearty chuckle. "Oh, Bruce. Ever so the same eight year old boy from way back when." He sighed in nostalgia, placing the silver tray on the table in the center of Bruce's quarters. "Well, here is your daily nutrition. Eggs, sunny side up - ironic, don't you think? - french toast, a fruit salad and coffee." He glanced pointedly at the half naked man under the mountain of sheets, knowing that despite the layers of cotton between them, he could still feel his piercing gaze. "And when I return, I expect to only encounter crumbs on this silver platter."

Bruce's ears then registered the soft thud of his father-figure's feet walking away and ascending towards the kitchen. He glanced at the table that was now full of contents that enticed him. He hastily grabbed the small piece of pineapple that was protruding and then grabbed the rest of the plate. As he gobbled down his breakfast, he skimmed over The Daily Planet. The first page's headline caught his eye:

**Mysterious Cat Threatens Gotham's Finest**

He knew in an instant who they were talking about and wondered how they had gotten this information, all the way in Metropolis. The medium scaled image was blurry and too dark to make anything out but a lean silhouette, which in reality could have been just about anyone. He skimmed over the few "witnesses" and the victims who were allegedly missing valuable garments of jewelry, scoffing at their claims and denying what they said were her "tactics" of plundering. Bruce Wayne knew much about the cat burglar, who he'd donned the name CatWoman, but then again knew nothing at all.

He knew what she looked like and that she lived in the East Side. He also knew that she was once affiliated with Ted Grant, or Wildcat, an ex-boxer. He had figured this out the hard way and, while reminiscing about his late night activities, he rubbed his bruised jaw thinking about how someone so young could be so well trained. _Well, then again, look at yourself. _His conscious told him. _Yes, but I'm a man, and she's hardly a woman. _Which, truth be told, he wasn't so sure about.

That was what had kept him up most of last night. He had her trapped in a corner and had simply let her go. Despite what she may think, he's been keeping tabs on her since the first time she stole pet kibble from the pet supermarket down by Central. There was something about her that never seemed right, even when she was under a mask. He'd never truly seen her face, just the curve of her smile and the gleam in her eyes, and it drove him mad. He didn't have any leads on who she could be. Did she even like cats? He glanced down at the paper that now rested on his lap. Peering at the name of the author of the article on Catwoman he came to the conclusion that this Lois Lane character might know more than he does. At least, as of right now.

* * *

After eating his meal and making sure nothing but crumbs were left, much to Alfred's pleasure, Bruce managed to put on his daytime Armani suit and asked Alfred to prepare the Bentley for him. Making sure he was prim and proper, Bruce jogged down the steps, and towards the main entrance where he shouted over his shoulder: "I hope to be back soon…but if worst case scenario I'm not yet back and it's past midnight, please go to bed, Alfred." Then the door shut, leaving Alfred and his broom alone once again.

"Yes, sir." he murmured to the empty house, hearing his own voice echo throughout the vast hallways.

* * *

In the midst of the tall buildings and sunshine, a stark comparison to the darkness of Gotham, Metropolis shines like any proud mega-city would; with its tall skyscrapers and the happy chatter surrounding you. The birds here would actually chirp and there seemed to be a "normal" aura about this city that always made Bruce feel foreign, even if he was hardly a state away from home. The Daily Planet was not difficult to spot; the large globe with the words "Daily Planet" made it a very difficult landmark to miss.

Pulling up to the front, where a glassy-eyed valet took in Mr. Wayne and his Bentley before stuttering a "Yes, sir" followed by a "Right away, sir." Bruce managed to straighten out his jacket and avoid the paparazzi that always seemed to know where he was going to be before he even got there. When he entered the lobby of the Daily Planet, he was not very much surprised. Not to say that the company itself was modest, (because really, how modest could a rotating globe be?) but you didn't have to announce the fact that you were in the Daily Planet with every glance you took.

It was written on the walls, on the rug, on the chairs and even the small lamps that adorned the side tables. Daily Planet. Daily Planet. Welcome to the Daily Planet. Planetary news; Daily. And so on so forth. It was a bit nauseating to take it all in, really, but Bruce managed to keep his stride. He walked up to the brunette who was chewing gum loudly and seemed to engrossed in her MyFace page to pay attention to any visitors.

Bruce cleared his throat. "Excuse me." When the girl did not look up, he cleared his throat a bit louder. "Excuse me."

This made the girl jump in surprise. Again, with the talent of reading microscopic reactions, Bruce noticed the girl was shocked, miffed, curious, confused, understanding, shocked again, and then pulled on a facade of being seductive.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…I did not see you there, Mister…" she smiled up at him, batting her eyelashes.

"Wayne. Bruce Wayne." He winked at the now blushing brunette as she giggled and played "bashful" when Bruce knew that she knew who he was the second she tore her eyes from her social networking screen.

"Well, what can I do for you-"

**"YOU KNOW WHAT, I QUIT! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF ALL OF THIS. I DON'T NEED YOU. I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOU!" **A strong, female voice echoed through the vast lobby of the Daily Planet. A disheveled brunette stumbled out of a corner, her skirt hitched up, her curly hair hardly contained in the thin hair tie. She was carrying a high heeled shoe in one hand and limping with the other one on. The entire lobby had gone silent, even the TV had been turned to mute as we all watched, mesmerized, at the spectacle this one lady had created. "What are you looking at?" She bellowed, before clutching her shoe tighter and making her way out, but not without glancing at Bruce. And in that moment, when green eyes met blue, Bruce almost thought for one second that she might be….

"…it's about damn time….Anyway, how can I help you Mister Wayne?" the receptionist had attempted to turn all the attention back to herself, as she pushed herself forward, making sure the billionaire got a clear view of her fake cleavage.

"I need to see…uh, let's see…Lois Lane?" he murmured unsurely, wishing he had taken the newspaper with him. That would have been a smart idea.

"Oh." The receptionist's tone went from flirty to bored in two seconds flat. "Please wait while I get her for you." Bruce nodded and sat down in the uncomfortable, blue plushy seats that made up most of the lobby's furniture. His back was beginning to ache and he wasn't sure if it was from fighting the Catwoman last night or from these horrendously upright chairs.

"She's waiting for you. Twenty second floor, you can't miss her." The bored receptionist waved him away towards one of the elevators.

Bruce made his way towards the moving utility and pressed the button that lit up, signaling an elevator was on its way. He endured the cheesy elevator music and tried to not stare at the old lady who was staring right back at him. When he reached the twenty second floor, he smiled at the senior citizen, more in relief than in greeting. Descending quickly, he realized why he "couldn't miss her."

A tall, pale woman with a french twist in her hair was yelling at several people, back to back. She screamed at a poor apprentice, then at some "jerk" who had apparently messed up her schedule and finally to her assistant who didn't know the difference between quality coffee and a decaf. Bruce did also notice how every time she would finish a sentence, her eyes would fleet towards a tall man who was printing images in the copy room. He couldn't really tell who he was, and didn't seem of importance so he didn't care. Mister Wayne decided to wait patiently at the front of the door to her office, where one by one, disheartened young lads would leave with shoulders slumped. When she was done, Lois sighed and rubbed her eyes, plopping down on her chair before peeking an eye open to see who the next guest was. Her eyes widened considerably as she took in Gotham's Prince: Bruce Wayne.

"Come in, Mr. Wayne, come in!" she ushered hastily, attempting to fix her hair before giving up completely and sitting down. "I'm Lois Lane, what can I do for you?"

Bruce smiled quickly before getting down to business. He noticed the tall man that was in the copy room was no longer there, in fact, he was no where to be seen throughout the entire building, as far as Bruce could tell. Odd.

"See, Ms. Lane-"

"Lois, please."

"Lois, then." She nodded in agreement. "I was reading your article on this…cat burglar and I was very much disturbed."

Lois' face paled considerably, "What? Did I say something offensive? Sir, please, I did not mean to hurt anybody's feelings…this is my only job, I can't lose this, I'll go broke and then-"

"No, no, I'm not here to get you fired." Bruce leaned back in his chair, admiring the view behind the troubled reporter. Quite a nice skyline, Metropolis had.

"You're not?" And when the billionaire shook his head no, she asked: "Then what?"

"I need to know everything you know and all your leads on this…_catwoman_."

* * *

**AN: Just to clear things up, this isn't the "present." Selina still hasn't slammed the door on the poor girl scout, I'm kind of giving you the background story first. I'm supposing that by chapter four we'll be at the present.**

**Right now, we're finding out how Selina got the attention of Batman.**

**So what did you think?**

**Thank you and if you'd be so kind to review...**

**-MM**


	3. Strange Nights

**Strangers in the Night**

**Chapter Three - Strange Nights**

* * *

Not much could be said about Selina Kyle as she walked out of the Daily Planet's building. She was, essentially, a "hot mess," with her hair disheveled and her heels in her hand. She tried her mightiest to ignore the stares and the hushed murmurs. To brush off the snorts and giggles heard around her, the people laughing at her expense.

She had walked in that morning with high hopes of getting rid of the article that haunted her from earlier that morning. _How had the news traveled so fast? _Somebody had to be following her. And so, after angrily ripping the newspaper, Selina threw on a coat, put on some heels and made her way to Metropolis' very own Daily Planet. She had politely asked the handsome young man, Mr. Kent, to lead her to the Lois Lane person who had written the article about her. Once he had done so, she patiently demanded the article be removed, only to be met with the infamous question of "Why?"

To this, Selina had no answer. I mean, what could she say? _I'm the catwoman you speak of, and the way you portray me is wrong, please remove me from this paper so that people don't find out about me and I can continue stealing?_

Somehow, Selina thought it wasn't a good way to respond, but it was the only reason in her head. _Maybe this publicity is kind of a good thing, _she thought, _maybe it'll catch _his _attention…._

Having her mind made up, Selina's scowl turned into a rightful smirk and the stomping of her feet evolved into a slight sway in the motion of her hips as she walked. She unclipped her hair and ran her hand through the thick curls, while placing her heels on with her right hand. Now people were staring, but it was in no way for the same reason.

She briefly wondered how Tom would react to her nightly endeavors. Would he be disappointed? Happy? Neutral? Would he shun her and all that she was, or would he welcome catwoman with open arms? After his death, Selina had tried her hardest to please him, or his memory at least. She thought that maybe he wouldn't be so proud of her after all, but then again, he'd probably want her to move on….

The question was though, was she ready?

* * *

Three days later, after Selina Kyle's life was stable once more (she had to apologize to Miss Lane for her actions in order to get her job back) she had donned the dark purple spandex once more. Her black leather boots flexed comfortable under the curl of her foot and her cat mask would stretch as she smiled. Selina made sure to have her whip with her as she decisively leapt out of her window and into the cold October night.

Jumping from building to building took some practice and was a strenuous activity. However, Selina was certain that after a couple of nights of this routine, her technique would eventually become something more graceful and catlike. So despite the large gaps and the moments between alleys were she would have to catch her breath, Selina made it to the top of the Wayne Tower in record time. She decided that sitting down might be a good idea now, since she had arrived at her destination and no one seemed to be there yet.

She chose a comfortable space between two large columns and admired the view of Gotham at night. The stars twinkled, promising false dreams to all those youngsters who admired the same view she did. She remembered once upon a time having the same hopes as the children of gotham did. Then her mother died, and her father fell into an oblivion, and her sister was gone, and the only two people she cared for died.

Selina can't quite remember how long she sat there, or what she was waiting for. The last part was a lie, she had kind of told Batman to meet her there a couple nights ago but she wouldn't let that be her sole reason. So why else was she sitting on the rooftop of the Wayne Tower? _To enjoy the scenery of course. _

She glanced at her watch and saw that it was an hour and a half past midnight. He wouldn't show up, she thought. Sighing deeply, Selina gracefully rose from her crouched position and stepped gingerly on the edge of the roof. Just one more step could solve all her problems. But she wouldn't give in that easily, not when she had some renewed hope.

A song popped into her curious mind and she began to hum it, steadily at first, unsure of the first stanza of lyrics. Then the famous chorus rang brightly in her head and her voice became louder as she sang out to the rhythm of the song. Her head bobbed accordingly and her hips swayed to the imaginary music her brain was emitting. She felt like she was nine again, living in a home she thought was perfect.

And then the moment was gone.

Broken by a deep, throaty chuckle.

_Oh, hell no. Did I just make Batman laugh? _Selina turned around immediately expecting to see the caped crusader with his infamous scowl in tact, but was disappointedly met with the shadows the gargoyles cast upon the roof. Her eyes danced across the rooftop, trying to make out any cloaked figures basking in the darkness of the shadows.

Nothing.

She turned back to the South, facing the skyline she was earlier admiring only to be met with surprisingly light blue eyes. She let out a small yelp, one which Batman found oddly endearing, and proceeded to turn as red as the tomato she had cut up earlier that day for her lunch. (It didn't do her any good since the tomatoes only made her sandwich soggy.)

Batman, with his mischief filled oceanic eyes allowed the corner of his lips to turn up for a fragment of a second - something the feline pleasantly noticed - before returning to his stone wall facade.

Selina was bold enough to smack his protected chest with a gloved and clawed up hand of hers. "Why would you sneak up on me like that?" she demanded, furious but elated to see that he had shown up.

Silence.

"And did I just catch you smiling?" Her eyes glinted with the mischief that was now gone from Batman's eyes.

Deterred by the constant silence he was emitting, Selina frowned slightly before pushing him out of the way and sitting down on the edge of the rooftop. "How long have you been here anyway?" she mumbled, playing with the heel of her boot.

"A while."

She scoffed, blaming herself for being surprised at his blunt and abrupt statement. He's Batman, he's not going to share all the delicious details about his ever so dark life. Not even the average man did that, not that Batman was an average man, but still. Selina rolled her eyes and turned to face him, finding him a couple feet behind her, standing as still as the statue next to him. "Don't you ever relax? Sit down, have a chat with a friend?"

"We're not friends." Ouch.

The contempt must have shown on her face because his fierce gaze softened a little. She could have almost sworn to have heard a "sorry" whispered from his mouth, but it was probably just the breeze that was tricking her. "Well then why are you here?" she asked, trying to play nonchalantly. As if his comment didn't hurt. As if he didn't matter. As if she didn't care.

"To protect the people of Gotham." his voice was the same monotonous gruff tone he always used, and she wondered what he really sounded like, not when he was growling or when he was fighting someone who was on the other side of the law. The real him. Whoever it was.

Selina let out a chortle, "And what, you think of me as a _threat?_"

Silence.

"Fair enough, Batman. You want a threat, then you'll get one. I just wanted to get closer to the masked vigilante that saves the lives of the innocent everyday. Get to know who was the man behind the cowl." With every few words, Selina stepped closer. The _clank _of her heels echoing through the night. The only sounds were those of her shoes, her voice, his breathing, and the chilly wind that occupied the night air. It felt almost like a private moment. Almost. "Why don't you just tell me who you are."

"That's irrelevant."

"It is not. I want to get to know you, Batman. Don't you want to know me?" by this point, Selina was a couple inches from his face, her hand gingerly resting on his shoulder, inquiring. His hands were stiffly at his side, as if he wasn't sure what to do. So he left them there. Selina stared at his eyes, searching for something, anything that would prove he wasn't just a man running on autopilot, defeating evil for sole purpose, just for the sake of the good. She wanted to know who he really was. What he _sounded like._

She wanted to know if he spoke in his sleep, if he sung in the shower, how he liked his eggs, did he read the paper, and if so which one. She wanted to find out if he drove actual cars, or was he more into motorcycles. Was he rich? Was he poor? Did he have a good sense of humor? _Doubt it._ Did he like his coffee black or with lots of sugar? What was his favorite color? _Black. _Okay, that one was a given. What was his actual smile like?

All these questions she had bubbling in her head. And she doubted that he would ever answer them, lest she got really close to him and he let her in. A girl can dream huh?

"I know all that I need to know. You're a criminal. You're on the wrong side of the law." his eyes were tense, quiet, sure. Solid; as if hiding something.

"You think I'm a criminal? Do you _want_ a criminal?" Silence. "Then you're going to get one." With a scowl in tact on both of their faces, Selina turned and walked across the roof to the edge. "Sayonara, Batman." And with that she dove down the one hundred and something floors until she managed to land on the awning on one of the eastern windows of the tower, luckily. But she thought that maybe for once, dying wouldn't be so bad.

It didn't escape her notice that the Caped Crusader had called out her name as she dove down the building. Smirking up at him, who was now leaning over the roof, ensuring her safety, she waved. Then he was gone.

_Well, that was fast. __**What did you think he was going to come after you or something? Keep dreaming, Kitty. **_

And then he appeared, right next to her. "Wh-wha, Batman? But you were just…."

He didn't offer an explanation and neither did she. For all he knew, she was now a criminal. Hell, she basically confessed that a couple hundred floors above their current spot. So she made a run for it. Sprinting across the empty road to a store that sold who knows what and climbing up through the western fire escape. Quickly climbing up with the help of her whip, she dared a glance back to find the vigilante zooming to the top, past her with his grappling hook. _Damned bat with his damned toys._

When they both reached the top, a silent face off occurred. She stared intensely at him and he retaliated, unflinching. Selina cracked her whip and strung it around a pole in the adjacent building that was behind him. Smiling seductively, she sprinted past the caped man and leapt off the current building he was in, as to which he did the same. As she swung to the top, she threw a rock she had managed to pick up while running from the awning's landing. Narrowly missing, but close enough to distract him momentarily, the Catwoman sped off to the top of the building. From the zenith level, she glanced down at the Crusader who was now staring up at her in appreciation.

"Hope you enjoyed the view, Batty, cuz it's the only thing you're catching tonight!" Selina blew him a kiss and was off, swallowed by the shadows of the night that would, in a couple of hours, turn into the lovely daylight of the day.

* * *

**AN: So yes, I know i'm a bit delayed. Was kind of stretching to see how many reviews I could get on the past two. So here we're closing on the past, by the end of Chapter five or the middle (not sure yet) we'll reach the **_**present.**_

**The next episode is the Caped Crusader's third person POV, so it should be interesting to find out what he found on this Catwoman person….**

**Til next time, **_**meow.**_

_**-MM**_


End file.
